From the Chair – Strategic Planning Update and Annual Report

This year I am pleased to announce that training attendance and membership continue to go grow and we have delivered a great financial result for the 2016 – 2017 financial year putting IAP2 Australasia onto strong and sustainable footing for the future.

I am delighted to share with you an update on a number of key strategic initiatives, together with the Annual Report 2017, incorporating the Financial Report for the year ended 30 June 2017. The Board has committed to:

• A ‘project reserve fund’ of $200,000 – being funds set aside for projects that are planned to deliver value to our members.
• A percentage of Australasian training revenue will be paid to the International Board to further invest in the international practice. This will be reviewed for the next financial year in line with other international activities.
• Investing $45,000 in the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP), which Australasia and Indonesia are leading on behalf of IAP2. This project aims to build engagement capacity in collaborations with the United Nation throughout South East Asia.

The past year has seen a number of challenges. We are using those challenges as an opportunity to implement and embed positive changes for the future of the organisation.

In August IAP2 Australasia welcomed a new CEO, Marion Short, a values-based leader who brings to the organisation excellent relationship building skills and considerable experience developing and implementing strategy.

As we move forward to strengthen the association and increase membership value, we have allocated budgets to deliver on a number of outstanding projects:

• The reviewed Certificate in Engagement modules will be published to maintain the relevance and professionalism of the training on offer.
• We will be continuing with the development of Certificate in Engagement modules Engagement Facilitation and Engagement Evaluation.

The Board is currently in the process of creating a strategic plan which will herald a new era at IAP2. We would love you to participate in both designing the engagement process and providing feedback on the draft the strategic plan; your ideas are vital to the Board and the organisation. Please complete the survey to let us know how you would like to be engageed in the process. The survey will close at midday AEDT on Friday 10 November 2017.

I would like to thank the IAP2 Australasia Board and staff for their ongoing efforts and tireless contribution. Thank you to the outgoing Directors Krystle Gray and Ray Tye for their invaluable input into IAP2. We wish them the best in their future endeavours.

I would like to welcome Jo Wilkins and Allen Rodwell to the Board as Directors. Jo is the Stakeholder Engagement Consultant for Stantec. She has been a member of IAP2 for six years and she currently coordinates the Auckland local network. Allen has been a member of IAP2 for eight years and is currently the Communications & Stakeholder Manager for John Holland in New South Wales. More information on Jo and Allen can be found here.

Mostly importantly, thank you to our members, trainers and ambassadors who bring a richness and diversity of experience to the association.

View the IAP2 Australasia Annual Report here

Regards,
Leanne Hartill
Chair